A Phone Call Away
by LadySophieKitty
Summary: Max Keenan gets a phone call in the middle of the night from his daughter. What could she possibly want? BB, slight spoilers for season 3.
1. Chapter 1

Summer Vacation at Hermione's

**A/N-** You know that switch that clicks when all of the sudden you get an endless number of ideas in your head? It happened to Harry Potter three years ago, and it seems to be happening now with Bones. So you'll probably be hearing from me again very soon. This was written very early in the morning (hence the shortness) so I apologize for any errors. Beware: out of character.

**A Phone Call Away**

Max Keenan was roused from a, well you wouldn't exactly call it a deep sleep because years on the run made it so he was aware of the smallest sound, but a deep sleep for him by the shrill noise of the telephone ringing. He blinked a few times before taking a quick glance at the clock. Two a.m. 'Let's hope this is something very serious, or I'll be going to jail for murder again.'

"Hello?" Max answered, trying to keep all traces of sleepiness out of his voice.

"Dad?" Temperance answered. Max frowned. She sounded as if she had just been crying. All his irritation at being awake immediately disappeared and was replaced by his fatherly side.

"Honey, what's wrong? Was it Booth? Because I'll kill him." Well okay, his fatherly side mixed with his criminal side.

"No, it wasn't Booth."

"Did someone try to hit on you at a crime-scene again? Don't worry, it won't make you any less respected."

"No, it wasn't that either." Temperance sniffed slightly.

"Then what was it?" Max frowned. He remembered a time when he knew exactly what was wrong. Somehow he doubted "did the teacher not make a quiz count because the rest of the class did so badly?" would apply here. Yet another reminder that his little girl was all grown up.

"I'm p-p-pregnant," Temperance moaned, "and I always thought that I would be able to terminate it, but I can't! I think I've been around Booth for too long. And I can't keep it either! I mean, look at me! I would make a terrible mother! I wouldn't be able to spend much time in the lab anymore, either. How will I tell Booth? Having children is completely against all my beliefs. Next thing you'll know I'll be walking down the aisle in a white dress!"

Max was silent for a moment, knowing it was crucial to say the exact right thing to someone who was pregnant, or you'd lose some body parts. Poor Booth didn't know what he was getting into. Especially since Brennan women had always been a bit more...temperamental than most. But oh, he was going to be a grandfather! Even if he felt way too young to be one.

"You'll make a wonderful mom, sweetie. I remember when your mother told me that she was pregnant. I was filled with doubts about my parenting skills too. How could a criminal make a good father? But I wasn't too bad, was I? Leaving you at the age of fifteen and being a murderer and getting sent to jail aside. On second thought, don't answer that."

Max continued, "Try to fall asleep, then when you wake up take a hot bath, and relax. Give it some thought, and then when you feel ready, you tell Booth. As for the rest you can c-"

"There will be no crossing bridges when I get to them. Just burning them so that I never have to cross them."

Max chuckled slightly. That was his girl.

"Thanks Dad, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Thanks for calling, and remember I'm here whenever you need any help." He knew it couldn't have been easy for her to admit needing help, or not knowing what to do.

They both hung up, and Max lay down again. He needed all the sleep he could get, because if he remembered correctly, he was going to be kept up a lot. This was sure to not be the last middle of the night phone call he would get.

A/N 2- I'm not too sure how I feel about this. Definitely not the best story I've written, but alas that dratted plot bunny would not leave me alone until it was written. So, thoughts? Should I delete this and never write again?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**- I got quite a few requests to continue this, and so I shall. I was debating between making this a longer story or just adding one more chapter, but I'm working on another multi-chapter Bones story (that will hopefully be posted soon), so I decided to just make one more chapter. Sorry this took a little while, I wasn't sure how I would write it, as I did want to keep it in Max's POV. Sorry for any inaccuracies: I have never been pregnant and I haven't been around many people who are.  
**A Phone call Away****  
****Chapter Two**

Despite last night's occurrences, Max still got up bright and early the next morning. Being a criminal and a father and being on the run for years had made it so that no matter how little sleep he got the night before, he was always up early. Still, he didn't remember the conversation right away. It wasn't until about ten minutes later when he was getting his coffee that he remembered his baby girl was pregnant. He set down his cup quickly, making some of it splash on his arm. He hissed as the hot water made contact, and grabbed the nearest towel to wipe it off.

He wanted to go over to Booth's apartment and demand what his intentions were, and possibly use some fists in there somewhere. He resisted the urge, however. He doubted Temperance had gotten around to telling him yet, and he shouldn't be the one to break the news. Not to mention that he had just gotten back his daughter's trust and didn't want that taken away, and that it probably wasn't the best idea to attack or threaten an FBI agent in his situation. He really didn't want to go back to jail. Besides, he liked Booth and knew that Booth cared a lot about his daughter. "I guess old habits die hard." he grumbled to himself as he picked up the coffee cup, careful not to spill this time.

Still, it would be nice to have a chat with Booth. He'd give it some time, however, so that she'd have the opportunity to tell him

*

A week later found him in the Royal Diner drinking a cup of coffee with Booth. Despite his plans, it hadn't been him who had made the original contact. Booth had called him the day before and asked Max if he would mind meeting him at the Royal Diner. Max supposed it made sense. After all, The Royal Diner held a lot of history for all of them. Relationships had formed and grown there, particularly Temperance's and Booth's relationship.

To say that the mood was awkward would be an understatement. Their relationship was certainly better than it had been. However, that did not take away from the fact that Booth was an FBI agent while he was a former criminal. They both drank their coffee in silence, neither really knowing how to begin. Finally, Booth began to speak. "There's something I should probably tell you."

Max decided to take mercy on him, and interrupted, "If this is about Tempe's pregnancy, I already know."

"You do? Bones didn't mention anything about telling you." Booth was used to dealing with suspects enough that he was able to keep his composure, but Max was able to catch a hint of surprise.

"She called me about a week ago in the middle of the night, but I doubt she remembers. Probably thinks it was some sort of a dream." Deciding it was the perfect opportunity for threatening, Max continued. "I like you, son, but if you ever hurt her or my grandchild, I will kill you. If she doesn't get to you first."

"I would never intentionally hurt her, and if I do, then you both have permission to kill me." Though the last part was said somewhat jokingly, there was a serious tone in Booth's voice. Satisfied enough, Max moved on.

"Just a little heads up, you might want to give up coffee and other caffeine for a while. Her mouth says she's fine with you drinking it, but her actions say otherwise. You are in for one tough roller-coaster ride. But at the end it'll be worth it, and you might even be one of those kids who, even though you know what you are getting into, decide to do it again anyways. God knows I did."

*

Max was anxious. Even more anxious than he had been on the day of his trial. Though to be honest, he hadn't really been nervous then. If he got free, great, if he didn't, well, he had lived his life. But this, this was different. It had been Booth's idea in the first place, but he knew that if Tempe hadn't gone along with it, he wouldn't be here.

It wasn't something he was accustomed to. When Ruth had been pregnant, they hadn't had such advanced technology as now. So it was a complete wonder to Max that he was about to see his grandchild months before he or she even came out, and in such clarity too.

"This might be a bit uncomfortable," the ultrasound technician, Molly, said as she placed some gooey substance on Temperance's stomach. Max usually would have researched about the process to know exactly what Temperance was getting into, but he hadn't had time. Booth had called only a bit before the ultrasound appointment to invite him along.

"That's cold!" Tempe announced with a bit of surprise.

"Oh yes. Most people feel cold, though you do have the occasional person who feels heat instead. Ah, there you go," Molly said with a big smile on her face. On screen an image popped up, and Max thought that it was the fourth most beautiful thing he had seen in his whole life, after his two children as babies (and adults!) and his wife. The baby's fast heartbeat filling the air might as well have been music for how beautiful the sound was. If he focused on his own slower heartbeat, then perhaps they could be a duet.

"Is this your first pregnancy?" Molly asked. Temperance just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. If Max hadn't been awed as well, he would have smiled. Even though Tempe had never imagined (or wanted) getting pregnant, she was happy now. To bring back the roller coaster analogy, she was like a kid who had started off _not_ wanting to go on the roller coaster and protesting with every fiber of her being, but when she did, she ended up being glad of it. If the roller coaster thinking kept up, Max would have to find a way to get to an amusement park soon.

"And you have opted to know the sex of the baby, right?" Molly asked. This time it was Booth who spoke, "Yes." Max wasn't surprised to hear of their decision. After all, Tempe was one who liked to know what she was getting into and how to best prepare for it.

"It looks like the baby is perfectly healthy. Congratulations, Ms. Brennan and Mr. Booth, you have a baby girl," Molly announced.

A girl! Max remembered when Tempe was born. Most babies cried, and Russ certainly had, but Tempe had just looked around the room, taking everything in with those blue eyes that seemed to know the whole world. Max had been so relieved when she had kept those blue eyes instead of losing them like most babies did.

"That seems to be all. Shall we make another appointment for in a few weeks? The baby is healthy, but I would like to be sure. Barbara up front will make the appointment for you." As she left the room, Max could have sworn he heard her say quietly, "I love my job," but that could have just been his imagination.

*

Several months later found him sitting in the waiting room with Booth as well as the other "squints", as Booth liked to call them. Both men were used to having to wait a while for things, but right now both were nearing the end of their patience.

"Is it time yet? It's been almost sixteen hours. Parker only took five hours!" Booth said, pacing back and forth. Max could tell he much would have preferred to be in there with her, but Temperance had been very firm about having no one be in there with her. Especially not her father or Booth.

"On the bright side, at least she's not breaking your hand," Max said, trying a joke to hide his anxiety. "I swear my hand has never been the same after Tempe was born. She took forever, too."

Booth opened his mouth to say something back, but a nurse came out to announce that the baby was born and that if Booth and Max wanted to see her now, they could. The rest would have to wait until the mother and baby were recovered more.

When Max entered the room, he held back a little gasp. There was Temperance, covered with sweat and looking absolutely exhausted, holding a little bundle of blankets. It was amazing to think how one day the baby was in her mother's stomach and the next day she was not. One day he was just a father, and now he was a grandfather as well.

It was funny how perfect it made sense: a new addition to the family brought everyone closer. Max had gone along to most of the appointments, and at least once a week he would meet up with them for a meal or just to hang out. At first he had felt like he was intruding, but after a while it seemed like they generally wanted him around. It made Max feel relived: it was partly his fault that Temperance shut out the world and certain people and he was worried that she would shut him out of her life too. After being out of her life for so long, he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it. He had even been invited to the baby shower that Angela had insisted on and that Temperance had reluctantly gone along with, and right now a picture from an ultrasound was in his wallet. Not that he wasn't planning to already, but Max was planning to spoil this child like nothing else to show his appreciation.

Right then he stood in the doorway, watching as Booth saw his daughter for the first time. Temperance looked up and said, "Dad, I'd like you to meet Amber Rose Brennan."


End file.
